Meet Ms. Michelle, who is starting her second year at Happy Valley family, bringing with her over 15 years of rich experience teaching Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade. Deeply passionate about early childhood education, Michelle firmly believes that the preschool years are foundational – and should be full of joy, play, and meaningful exploration. She is also profoundly committed to supporting her students’ emotional development – using patience and authentic connection to help young children safely navigate and validate their feelings.

Outside the classroom, Michelle loves rock climbing, crafting, cooking, and traveling. She is looking forward to a beautifully fun and playful year of learning and growing alongside her new students.

Meet Ms. Rachael, a lifelong Colorado resident who holds a teacher’s license, a Colorado Shines Level 6 credential, and an Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s degree,    graduating Cum Laude with Faculty Honors. While new to Happy Valley, she has 5 years of previous experience with infants up to elementary-aged children, and many more with children in general.

Rachael prides herself in building strong connections with families and making learning an engaging, creative experience. Her rich professional background across both traditional preschool and Montessori settings allows her to design individualized learning plans that prepare young children socially, emotionally, and academically for kindergarten.

In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, trying out new restaurants around town, and thrifting.

This year Ms. Jessica is starting her third year at Happy Valley! Jessica holds a Master’s degree in Education and brings eight years of early education teaching experience – including a stint in Russia. She is passionate about academic success, believing there is no greater joy than teaching children how to read and write. She loves reminding her students, “we are all lifelong learners” and “everything we don’t know can be learned.”

Outside of school, Jessica loves being creative and enjoys sewing, embroidery, and is learning the ukulele. You might have guessed that Jessica is fluent in Russian; she is continually working on that. She is incredibly excited to learn right alongside her new students this year!

Meet Ms. Patti Sweeden, whose true lifelong passion is education. With an impressive, deeply rooted career in teaching, Patti has brought her love for learning to K-8 classrooms through science, math, and music. She brings this wealth of expertise to Happy Valley part-time, spending the rest of her day sharing the joy of music at other early education centers. She firmly believes that children learn best by doing and skillfully guides her students as they explore and pursue their natural curiosities.

Outside of school, Ms. Patti keeps life just as vibrant fostering rescue kittens and is an exceptionally talented musician who plays the tenor horn and cornet. You might also spot her at the airport, where she simply loves watching the planes take off and land.

Meet Ms. Colleen, a true staple of the Happy Valley community, has been with us for 12 years and has spent most of her life dedicated to working with young children. Colleen brings the perfect blend of a well-run, structured classroom and deep care and concern for each of her students. With formal training in Early Education, she creates an environment where children truly feel safe and supported.

As a proud Colorado native, Colleen loves staying active in her free time through swimming, gardening, and biking—if you look closely, you can often see her biking all over town! She absolutely cannot wait to meet you, your family, and all of her wonderful new students.

Meet Ms. Karie, who has been a part of the Happy Valley team for three years and brings over 25 years of experience nurturing and educating young children. She holds a BFA in art education from the Art Institute of Chicago as well as her RBT 

(Registered Behavioral Technician). Karie has extensive, specialized experience working with children on the autism spectrum and serves as our resident expert in supporting Gifted and Talented (GT) as well as twice-exceptional (2e) learners, ensuring every unique mind thrives.

As a proud Colorado native, Karie has a deep love for the great outdoors, though with her rich artistic background, you can most often find her happily covered in paint and clay right alongside her students.

Meet Ms. Cara, who first joined the Happy Valley community as a substitute teacher in December of 2024 while her granddaughter was attending. We were so thrilled with her warmth and dedication that she officially joined our team part-time for the 2025-26 school year! Cara holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and earned her Lead Teacher certification in 2025. Cara adamantly holds that all people be treated with kindness, a value that is pervasive in her classroom and her life.

Once upon a time, Cara worked at a winery and knows all the fascinating ins and outs of wine! She still loves relaxing with a glass of truly “good” wine, spending quality time with her family, and embracing anything that brings joy and a good time.

Meet Ms. Lisa, who has been working and volunteering at Happy Valley since 2022 and has dedicated over 20 years to working with children. She brings a genuine love of life and a beautiful, positive energy to our community. Ms. Lisa loves the innocence that children bring to the world and loves watching them find their light as they discover who they are and what they can achieve.

Lisa is married with two children, and outside the classroom, she has coached colorguard for decades – teaching students from ages 4-22. Happy Valley has been such an incredible place for her and her own family, and she loves being a part of it and helping your child have their own incredible journey here.

Meet Ms. Marisa, who joined the Happy Valley family in December of 2024. As an assistant teacher, Marisa is known for having the most kind and gentle heart. She is deeply dedicated to helping every child grow and thrive.

She is the proud mother of two children, Kaden and Paisley, who are frequently seen at Happy Valley after hours helping care for the school’s animals. She enjoys an unbelievable commute, as she can see the school right from her house! Outside of work, one of Marisa’s favorite ways to unwind is taking long, peaceful walks on a beach when she can get there. She also loves collecting things and finding new purposes for old items.

Meet Ms. Samantha, who is proudly starting her 5th year at Happy Valley! Over the years, Samantha has held many positions, and this year she will be floating in the front office and assisting in the Bubblegum room morning classes. Samantha is deeply passionate about education, holds an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education, and loves learning right alongside her students. For her, there is no happier place than a classroom buzzing with children, where she can help them learn, grow, and confidently navigate their world.

Outside of work, Samantha’s favorite ways to unwind are heading to the pool and spending quality time with her dog, Piper.

Mr. Jake is one of our best new hires ever, as returning families well know! The kids absolutely love hanging out with him, and you truly couldn’t ask for a better role model. Jake just earned his RBT certification and will be floating through all morning classrooms to help our students build their social and emotional skills.

He will be in the Kindergarten class full time. Outside of work – Jake is fantastic soccer player.

Ms. Sarah Stamps has been subbing with Happy Valley for the last 2 1/2 years and spent many more working with children. Her infectious, happy energy brightens every room and helps children quickly feel comfortable. Away from work, Sarah loves to travel the world and creates wonderful memories with her family – especially her grandson.

Ms. Sara has been subbing at Happy Valley since 2025 and has always enjoyed working with kids. She has a bachelor’s degree in Communicative Disorders with an emphasis in Speech-Language Pathology, and she has 2 school-aged kids. Sara loves to plan trips, travel, hike, play board games, and read. She and her kids hiked over 50 miles with friends over the summer.